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Following her statement, Alyokhina's lawyer Irina Khrunova left the court, acting on her client's wishes. She said Alyokhina's decision was a method of last resort.

'She decided that only in this way, with the attention (brought by) a hunger strike, could she show how the rights of defendants are violated,' Ms Khrunova said.

'She made this decision soundly, independently, and after deliberation.'

Pussy Riot: Yekaterina Samutsevich, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were convicted of 'hooliganism motivated by religious hatred' in August last year

Anti Putin: Members of Pussy Riot, pictured before the 'punk prayer', performed a protest song in a protest song criticising Vladimir Putin in a central Moscow cathedral in February last year

Following Ms Alyokhina’s announcement yesterday, Sir Paul McCartney has written to Russian authorities asking them to consider her parole.

The former Beatle, who has previously expressed his support for the group, has asked officials to grant Ms Alyokhina the right to be present at a future hearing in several handwritten letters.

He said: ‘My personal belief is that further incarceration for Maria will be harmful for her and the situation as a whole, which, of course, is being watched by people all over the world.

Helping hand: Sir Paul McCartney has written to the court asking them to allow Ms Alyokhina to attend her hearing

‘In the great tradition of fair-mindedness which the Russian people (many of whom are my friends) are famous for, I believe that you granting this request would send a very positive message to all the people who have followed this case.’

In a further letter, regarding Ms Tolokonnikova, Sir Paul said: ‘I have had a long relationship with the Russian people, and, with this in mind, I am making the following request in a spirit of friendship for my many Russian acquaintances who, like me, believe in treating people - all people - with compassion and kindness.’

Ms Alyokhina's mother, Natalia, said
she had little faith in Russian justice and would not raise her hopes of
her daughter's parole.

'I don't expect anything good from the judge. It will be hard,' she said.

According to documents read in court
Ms Alyokhina's behaviour in prison may risk her parole. She is said to
be rude to prison staff and to not respect sleeping hours.

The three Pussy Riot members were convicted of 'hooliganism motivated by religious hatred' last August, following a trial seen by their supporters as part of a clampdown on dissent by Putin during his third term in power.

Ms Samutsevich was released on parole in October 2012, while Ms Tolokonnikova, 23, was denied parole last month.

Both Ms Tolokonnikova and Ms Alyokhina both have young children, and have requested to have their sentences deferred until they are older.

Both requests have been rejected by courts and the pair are due for release next March.

In Ms Alyokhina's case, the judge at the court in Berezniki, located 620 miles northeast of Moscow, adjourned the parole hearing until Thursday afternoon.